4/23/07 Getting Rid of that Old Vintage Smell
We have been asked how do you get rid of the old clothes smell. Actually, we have to admit when we are at an estate sale and get a whiff of that vintage smell, we think we may find treasures. But we don’t want to live with them for long, or pass them on to others.
We don't know of any definitive answers for getting rid of vintage smells in clothing and textiles. We find that some of the older rayons have a distinctive smell as do some of the woolens. Both of those fabrics have smells of their own when they are wet. We have wondered if the older dyes smell differently to us.
These are some of the things that we have tried with varying degrees of success:
1. Some of the smell may be accumulated dust, so vacuum cleaning the surface is a good beginning step. Use a soft brush or cover the vacuum cleaning nozzle with net.
2. We end up washing a lot of things even when it is recommended not to. If it stinks and has terrible stains that dry cleaning won't take out it is not wearable or saleable anyway. We have about a 50% success rate.
3. If it looks clean and smells reasonably clean we have some success using Dry Cleaner's Secret (similar to Dryel but better according to Consumer's Reports). It seems to take out odors, but it not particularly good for really stained or very dirty items.
We also try the following:
4. Try putting the item in a dryer with two very damp towels. Check often, it probably shouldn't be left more than about 15 minutes, maybe less.
5. Send it back to the dry cleaner’s. We are lucky to get a bulk dry cleaning rate from a small cleaner in a nearby small rural town. Pressing is not included, but many things, especially woolens, often do not need to be pressed and we have our own steamer.
6. If it is white, hang it on a clothesline for a time. If it is dark colored and you don't want any sun bleaching hang it in a covered area with good air circulation for a long, long time. This works well for lingering moth ball smells. We have left things as long as two weeks on our covered porch and the smell eventually goes.
Marian once bought a lambskin steering wheel cover that smelled terribly of mildew. She put it in the center of the clothesline and forgot about it. About 6 weeks later, she rescued it and used it odor free until it wore out. This works for things that come back from the dry cleaners with cigarette smoke smell too. Arrgh!
7. We have a highly rated portable air cleaner in the clothing building, which we think helps to reduce that old vintage smell. Check Consumer Reports for recommended brands.
We do not use scented candles, sachets, talcum powder, or cotton balls with cologne or perfume on them or other artificial smells to cover up other smells. Some people are sensitive to perfumes, and personally, we find the combination of that old vintage smell and these artificial aromas particular repulsive.
Maybe having things smell a little differently from some of the modern clothing is not a bad thing, but just one of the things we vintage lovers accept along with the lovely old fabrics, workmanship and styles.
Tell us what you think?
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